Chapter 25

Zllera shivers in my arms as we await the arrival of the others. Onyx and I have stacked as many boulders as we can into the opening in the wall. Each time one was moved we would hold our breath as the floor shook under our feet.

Ipush Zllera into Onyx's arms as I see the shadows darkening and SiN's mist appears. It takes SiN a moment to reappear; his skin is torn and scratched all over where he is wrapped protectively around Wynd. Whom, the moment she re-materializes, screams out in terror. Her frightened, teary eyes search for anything familiar. Just as I move forward, her eyes land on Zllera. Wynd quiets down substantially, but the damage has already been done as the rocks start to fall all around us.

Iwatch in horror as the wall starts to shift in front of us. SiN barely gets free of the crack before it seals itself shut completely. Grabbing hold of the sides, I do my best to tear it back open with my bare hands, only for SiN to seize me. Practically throwing me out of the way when a large section of the roof lets go, landing directly where I had been standing.

Instantly, I am back on my feet, throwing rocks out of my way trying to go forward. WhenOnyx and SiN force me back. "Father stop! The area is blocked, you are just going to get yourself killed."

Igrab hold of SiN. "She is right there; I can feel her; you have to go back."

"You know I would if I could. I barely made it out with the little one over there. We will find another way, ZoD. Get a hold of yourself, these kids need you too and we are sitting right in the middle of enemy territory."

Ittakes everything I have to rein in my anger. I can feel her getting further away and I know that means they are moving her. "We can't leave her there. Neither my mind nor my heart can live through finding her in the same shape I found my mother."

"Father?"

Thesound of Zllera's scared voice forces me to refocus and I turn towards her and the little one. Her tear-streaked dirty face has me pulling her into my arms for a second. Only to release her when I notice she is covered in a dark dried substance. "What is this? Are you ok? Did they hurt you? Is this blood?"

"I'm alright, Father. Hungry, and a little beat up, but I am ok. What you're seeing is blood, but it's not mine, it's Tessa's. When they captured us, she got banged up pretty badly, and her arm is a mess, she was so brave. Especially when she realized they were scared of her. She smeared it all over us, trying to keep us safe. The biggest one said he was going to do bad things to us and then sell her to a pleasure planet. Father, they are planning an invasion, the biggest one was bragging about taking some of the little ones as breeders." Tears are running freely down her cheeks as she bounces Wynd on her hip. The little one has her head tucked under Zllera's chin, refusing to even look up.

"Zllera, you know I will never allow that to happen. We won't stop searching for her and we are not going to lose anyone else."

"Tessa kept telling us you would come, Father. She will be waiting for you."

"Onyx, take the females back to the compound. It won't be long before the Waldrin send scouts out looking for them. SiN and I will go on and see if we can find another entrance." I can tell he is going to argue with me, holding my hand up. "You know these tunnels better than anyone. I need you to get these females back to safety and then help Raya fortify the main chambers against the attack coming. Don't come back out here looking for us, we will return when we get Tessa. Zllera, you listen to your brother."

Irun my hand across her cheek, wiping the tears away before kissing the top of her head. Then watch as Onyx and her start making their way across the fallen boulders towards our compound. Several times he has to practically lift them up and over, as Zllera is having a hard time with Wynd's extra weight, but she refuses to sit her down or hand her to Onyx. I stand here staring after them until even the faintest of their light is gone. My heart is torn. I know I should be with them, but Tessa needs me. I must trust Onyx to keep them safe.

"Commander, would you like me to go on ahead?"

"SiN, if I thought for a moment it would make a difference, I would tell you to go, but I have a feeling we would end up searching for each other in the process. Let's move forward together until our circumstances change."

"Do you have any idea where they might have landed on the planet originally? That is more than likely how they are coming and going from the surface."

"No, we were blindsided by their first attack and didn't know what to do when the first were taken."

SiNdoesn't say anything else as we travel forward through the dark and damp caverns as quickly as we can. Every once in a while, he would mist off into a crack or an opening only to come back with a frown on his face. Several times now I have felt her, but no matter how much I try. I can't pinpoint her direction. SiN stops and I know what is going to come out of his mouth before he says it.

"We have been walking in circles for a while now. It's a dead end ZoD, we are going to have to retrace our steps and head back. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, but there is no way to go forward, not here, anyway. We are going to need help if we are going to locate her."

"SiN, never have I felt more worthless or helpless than I do right now. I know I should be grateful to have had the chance to hold her in my arms and taste her lips, but knowing she is hurt and in the hands of those monsters is tearing me apart."

"ZoD, we will get her back. You heard the younglings; the Waldrin are scared of her, it should buy her some time. We won't stop looking, but we are going to have to change our course this one has run dry."